Wild Card Wednesday: More Baseball!!!
After watching four games on Tuesday, Wednesday gave us 8 more games. The National League has started their round of Wild Card games. This gave any avid baseball fan the ultimate joy of baseball games around the clock. With this in mind, let’s look at what the games taught us.
Braves vs. Reds
Both teams seemed to lose the ability to know how to score. This is not to take away from the great pitching performances from Trevor Bauer (7.2 IP, 2 hits, 0 runs, 12 strikeouts) and Max Fried (7 IP, 6 hits, 0 runs, 5 strikeouts). The scoring became problematic as we entered extra innings and both teams constantly failed to bring in one runner to win the game. In the 13th inning, we finally saw Freddie Freeman lace a single to center field to give the Braves the win. This win is honestly a steal for the Braves as they found a way to come away with a victory with Trevor Bauer on the mound (it only gets easier from here).
Twins vs. Astros
We have to agree that the Twins let America down the past two days. They could have done all baseball fans a favor by eliminating the Astros. Instead, the Twins have continued their historic streak of losing 18 straight playoff games (yikes). Like Tuesday’s game, the Twins saw everything unravel in the late innings as the Astros did just enough to take the Twins out of the game. The Astros have advanced and the rest of the fans if baseball is hoping someone can knock them out in the next round.
A’s vs. White Sox
After a dominating performance from Chicago the day before, it was almost assumed that things evened out. Chris Bassitt tossed seven innings and only allowed one run and gave the A’s the bounce back they needed. After Matt Olsen knocked in two runs in the first inning and a hard grounder and Marcus Semien drove a two-run homer to center in the second inning, the game felt all but over. The White Sox tried to rally but it was too little and too late, losing the game 5-3. This will be the only American League series to go to a third game and it should be no surprise as both teams are evenly matched.
Cubs vs. Marlins
Baseball is a game where one swing can flip the momentum of a game and possibly a series. The top of the seventh inning had precisely that kind of swing, as Corey Dickerson Took an outside off-speed pitch and sent it to left-center field for a three-run dinger that gave the Marlins a 3-1 lead. After the momentum swing, the floodgates opened in the seventh and the Marlins added another two runs in the frame. A 5-1 victory makes many fans wonder if the Cubs are in trouble (expect them to bounce back tomorrow). The game also makes anyone wonder if the Marlins mystique is happening again (the only times the Marlins made the playoffs, they ended up winning the World Series).
Rays vs. Blue Jays
The runs just poured in for the Rays. Through the second inning, the score was already 7-0. The Rays have proven to be the best team in the American League throughout the season. The postseason comes as no exception and the Rays beat the Blue Jays in all facets of the game.
The Divisional Round will be a true clash of baseball styles. The Rays will face the Yankees. Economic Baseball vs. Paid Stars, Depth vs. Star Power, Consistency vs. Bursts. The Rays might only be slightly favored in the series as many will anticipate a back and forth battle.
Padres vs. Cardinals
The Cardinals were one of those teams that you didn’t want to bet on considering their regular season. They also were a team that would remind you that they have the experience to make a surprise run and possibly win the World Series.
The first inning proved the experience was there. Paul Goldschmidt, Yadier Molina, and Matt Carpenter all have crucial hits that gave the Cardinals a four-run inning and six runs after three innings. The Padres slowly fought back into the game (one run at a time) and made the game reasonably close. Unfortunately, it was not enough as the deficit was too great to overcome. This felt like a game that the Padres needed, bringing out their ace Chris Paddack and not having Mike Clevinger or Dinelson Lamet for the series.
Cleveland vs. Yankees
Regardless of who you root for, this was the game of the day. Both teams traded blows and runs were plentiful throughout the game. There are several things to keep in mind for this game.
The start of the game looked like the teams were trying to play through a hurricane. The game was delayed and delayed again. This forces anyone who watched the game long enough to wonder why the MLB doesn’t require all teams to have a retractable roof on their stadium.
Gio Urshela haunted the Cleveland team that chose to trade him a few years ago for pennies on the dollar. Gio hit a grand slam to give the Yankees a 5-4 lead in the 4th inning. In the eighth inning, kept the Yankees in the game with a defensive gem that resulted in a double play. Urshela isn’t the first or even fifth player to come to mind when one thinks of the Yankees, yet he reminds us why the Yankees are rightly feared in the postseason and more than capable of making a run.
The beauty of this game was not only the plethora of runs. It was how they were scored, from homers to slap-singles. Jose Ramirez drove in three runs on the day and all with down the line hits. The game was ultimately decided by a DJ LeMahieu slice-swing sending a grounder up the middle to bring in the winning run.
Yankees fans will likely feel a certain level of arrogance after this series. It is completely understandable as the Yankees look like they have all their players healthy and ready for a run. It will be interesting to see how they play again the divisional rival Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays have proven that they are one of the most complete teams in the MLB throughout the season.
Dodgers vs. Brewers
Mookie Betts is again proving why he is one of the finalists for the most valuable players in the National League. The Dodgers made the bold move to trade for him, giving away top prospects in the process. The Dodgers then extended Mookie to keep him in L.A. for years to come. Now the Dodgers see why they Bet on Betts. Mookie Betts went 2 for 4 with a pair of doubles that drove in a run and allowed him to circle the bases for another. Betts was part of the hot start that gave the Dodgers a 4-2 victory that is almost expected at this point. The season is championship or bust.
